One of the classes I'm taking is a Comparative Studies class, which essentially focuses on the perception of America around the world. Instead of a traditional text book, we have a collection of books and various essays to read, which is great for me, because I enjoy reading. We're reading everything from Neil Gordon's The Company You Keep to Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation to essays written by foreign author Orhan Pamuk. (I would highly recommend both books and Pamuk's Snow.)

In one of the recent essays I read, I was struck by the phrase "American Scripture." American scripture simply refers to the plethora of writings that espouse the ideals of America. Everything from the Declaration of Independence to authors like Hemingway to speeches from MLK and JFK is included in "American Scripture."

Every time I hear about Paris Hilton doing something stupid, or turn on the TV and have to sit through celebrity "news" before I can here what is actually going on the in world, I am a little bit embarrassed to be an American. After all, this is the image, the Hollywood, MTV, surgically altered and photoshopped image (speaking of the photoshopped fake image - don't you feel a little cheated?) the world sees.

But the more I think about American Scripture, the more I realize and appreciate its significance. I believe that there is hope, to resurrect America's image from the depths of celebrity gossip, to disassociate the ideals of America from American citizens behaving like idiots at home and abroad. Even though the practice of book reading is everything but extinct, I just hope that if this American scripture and literature is printed, at least the world reads the cliff notes.